1998 Pontiac Grand Am Reviews, Pricing & Specs
Overview
What does it say about a car that generates so many reliability complaints and yet still manages to be the top-selling brand of its...
What does it say about a car that generates so many reliability complaints and yet still manages to be the top-selling brand of its automaker? More precisely, what does it say about the other cars this automaker offers? The 1998 Pontiac Grand AM is an affordable four-door sedan or two-door coupe that has an adequately kicky engine and attractive styling, but has suffered from a series of unaddressed problems.
No changes for 1998, as the Grand Am prepares to unveil its fifth generation cars in the coming year. Both the SE and GT sedan and coupe come standard with a 2.4-liter, Twin Cam, 150-hp I4 or an optional 3.1-liter, 155-hp V6. A 5-speed manual is standard on the I4, a 4-speed automatic on the V6 (or optional on the I4). With the auto tran comes standard traction control. Other standard features across the line include ABS brakes, dual front airbags, air conditioning, interior consoles, and an anti-theft system.
For such a long list of complaints about the 1998 Grand Am, it's hard to see why it is GM's top selling car, but there seem to be many owners who love its deceptively sporty styling, responsive acceleration power, and a pricetag and gas mileage that make it an inexpensive car to own. That is, if you don't experience the myriad of mechanical difficulties other 1997 Grand Am owners complain about, most notably with the alternator, intake manifold leaks, and easily worn brake pads. Though drivers like the roomy trunk and the way the dash is laid out, others complain that cheap plastic parts break off too easily and the seats are too body-hugging to be comfortable on long trips.
What owners say
"Overall, drivers find the 1998 Pontiac Grand Am to be a fun and economical car that can deliver decent performance. Many appreciate its acceleration and attractive design, especially in a compact package. However, some drivers note issues with frequent repairs, particularly with the braking system, and find the interior space to be a bit lacking. Despite these concerns, the Grand Am is often praised for its reliability and solid handling."
The performance is incredible, coming from the age of the car. The 2.4L engine really has the kick it needs. The build quality is nice. The appearance is nice, not as sporty as the newer Grand Am's or Grand Prix's, but its still a Pontiac! The gas mileage is alright, about 27ish highway. It did need some maintenance when I first got it, but that was just an oil change, and that cheap easy stuff. All in All this car is pretty good.
June 4, 2010Despite being a compact car, the Grand Am still has the feel and power of a midrange sports car while being economical at the same time. The 3100 SFI V6 has plenty of power to get you where you need to go quickly; it even sounds good, too. It handles remarkably well, although despite the ABS, the braking leaves a little bit to be desired. High quality brake pads are recommended. This car is of a solid build quality, and despite GM's goofy layouts, the car is still easy enough to work on by yourself. It's a strong, solid performer and has tirelessly stood up to LONG trips, deep snow, and hard driving without batting an eye! It is a 2-door, and although it's slightly lacking on interior room, the exterior styling is clean and aggressive. It has lots of trunk space. The interior room is minimal, but for a two door, it can still comfortably fit 4 people. The Grand Am gets decent gas mileage, especially when driving at a constant speed for prolonged periods of time. On a full tank of gas, it can easily make 350 miles of easy driving. This car is lots of fun to drive with the exception of it being a front-wheel-drive platform. It can take quick, hard turns; loud, tire-squealing take-offs; spirited highway driving; and easy, Sunday morning rides while still being completely comfortable. There isn't a whole lot of aftermarket support for 4th gen. Grand Am's, but for what is available, this car can instantly become very exciting. It hasn't needed any major repairs since I've owned it, other than simple maintenance (brake job, oil change, air filter, etc.). This car is very easy to maintain, and if properly cared for, it will last a LONG time.
November 5, 2009Im loving it so far. im having a fun time driving stick shift, and she has fast acceleration. I love the interior and exterior design of the car, and the color black is sweet for a car. I enjoy and am so far having fun driving this magnificent beast around town.
August 10, 2008What owners say
The performance is incredible, coming from the age of the car. The 2.4L engine really has the kick it needs. The build quality is nice. The appearance is nice, not as sporty as the newer Grand Am's or Grand Prix's, but its still a Pontiac! The gas mileage is alright, about 27ish highway. It did need some maintenance when I first got it, but that was just an oil change, and that cheap easy stuff. All in All this car is pretty good.
June 4, 2010Despite being a compact car, the Grand Am still has the feel and power of a midrange sports car while being economical at the same time. The 3100 SFI V6 has plenty of power to get you where you need to go quickly; it even sounds good, too. It handles remarkably well, although despite the ABS, the braking leaves a little bit to be desired. High quality brake pads are recommended. This car is of a solid build quality, and despite GM's goofy layouts, the car is still easy enough to work on by yourself. It's a strong, solid performer and has tirelessly stood up to LONG trips, deep snow, and hard driving without batting an eye! It is a 2-door, and although it's slightly lacking on interior room, the exterior styling is clean and aggressive. It has lots of trunk space. The interior room is minimal, but for a two door, it can still comfortably fit 4 people. The Grand Am gets decent gas mileage, especially when driving at a constant speed for prolonged periods of time. On a full tank of gas, it can easily make 350 miles of easy driving. This car is lots of fun to drive with the exception of it being a front-wheel-drive platform. It can take quick, hard turns; loud, tire-squealing take-offs; spirited highway driving; and easy, Sunday morning rides while still being completely comfortable. There isn't a whole lot of aftermarket support for 4th gen. Grand Am's, but for what is available, this car can instantly become very exciting. It hasn't needed any major repairs since I've owned it, other than simple maintenance (brake job, oil change, air filter, etc.). This car is very easy to maintain, and if properly cared for, it will last a LONG time.
November 5, 2009Im loving it so far. im having a fun time driving stick shift, and she has fast acceleration. I love the interior and exterior design of the car, and the color black is sweet for a car. I enjoy and am so far having fun driving this magnificent beast around town.
August 10, 2008Mild acceleration, weak braking, aggressive cornering, blah interior. It's really hard to find aftermarket parts, anything performance parts wise is nothing but a headache. You'll have to spend a ton of money to get a lot of power or just deal with the fact of not having any. Prices are cheap, fairly reliable. Overall not bad for a cheaper used car
February 28, 2012I was VERY rough on this car. It handled surprisingly well, and it definitely wasn't slow. The transmission started to go out fairly quickly, but it wasn't surprising considering how rough I was on it. It got fairly good gas mileage, and at a time when gas was $4.00 a gallon that was important.
May 15, 2009This car was good, but i soon realized that the cars sat way to close to the ground.
May 17, 2008very good family car and very good mileage. would trust this vehicle on any given road trip. low mileage makes this vehicle well worth having. appearance of this vehicle is in great shape considering the year. a very fun car to drive, has plenty of pick for a 3.0 6 cylinder engine
September 23, 2010This car was a nice solid car for the highway. Had good accelleration, very comfortable. The repairs although parts were very cheap were becomming far to frequent. This car looked fabulous and could be pretty fun to drive. started to degrade near the 175k mark
December 4, 2009It's a really good car for fuel economy, doesn't waste much gas especially on long trips, it's a reliable car it will take you to work safely, but it's not a very good car for big families 5 people can fit in the car relatively enough space
January 19, 2015Not Much to really to dislike it gets me all over for work and vacation trips with no problems go back and forth everywhere and it still gets comment cause now these cars are disappearing...pontiac fan for life lol..:)
December 22, 2011Trims & specs
Base MSRP $16,999 | Seating 5 |
Engine N/A | Cargo Capacity 13.4 cu ft |
Combined MPG N/A | Drivetrain N/A |
Base MSRP $15,549 | Seating 5 |
Engine N/A | Cargo Capacity 13.4 cu ft |
Combined MPG N/A | Drivetrain N/A |
Base MSRP $16,849 | Seating 5 |
Engine N/A | Cargo Capacity 13.4 cu ft |
Combined MPG N/A | Drivetrain N/A |
Base MSRP $15,399 | Seating 5 |
Engine N/A | Cargo Capacity 13.4 cu ft |
Combined MPG N/A | Drivetrain N/A |
